Kings Crumble at the Feet of Princesses
by Daisy Mea
Summary: (Takes place before anime, and before Tataraʼs death. Focused on Blue and Red Clans.) What immense changes will occur when a strange little girl shows up Scepter 4ʼs doorstep; one with confusing powers and seems to be wanted by the other kings? Munakata has always said he wanted to be a father, but is he ready for what this child with bring? [T for language]
1. Soren

**Reisi Munakataʼs POV**

It was nearly five oʼclock in the afternoon, and the sun was still above the cityʼs skyline. Summer had always been my favorite season, even as a child, and it calmed me to know that it was just around the corner. Headquarters was pleasantly calm today, not many disturbances in the city needed our assistance. I got time to myself for a few thousand-piece puzzles. When I finished my fourth one, I suddenly felt a little dazed. Bored. This was something I rarely felt while doing puzzles. I stood and walked through my large office. The blue walls trimmed with white around the corner pillars were casted with golden rays of light that shined from the window. I approached it and took a deep inhale from my nose. The sunset was lovely against the city. The sky faded from dark blue to indigo to orange and yellow and red. Not a cloud in the sky.

Movement on the ground caught my eye. A child was coming through the gates, stopped by Andy Domyoji. He knelt down and spoke with her. From where I stood, she looked very little. She had dark brown hair and wore a simple tan colored dress. She had a royal blue backpack on as well. She handed something to Domyoji, which he took a moment to read. Then he ran a hand through his hair, took her hand, and escorted her into the building. I waited.

Not before long, Fushimi was at my door. He knocked twice and said, "Sir?"

"Come in," I replied, keeping my face towards the window. I heard the large wooden door open behind me.

"Sir," Fushimi began, his voice slightly annoyed as usual, "there is a child here with a letter for you..."

"Me specifically?"

"Yes. By the looks of it, I think she was sent here to _live _here..."

"Oh?" I turned and began for the door. Fushimi closed it behind me and caught up, only a stride or two behind me.

"A-are you going to let her stay?" His voice was almost a groan. I smirked and said nothing. I heard Fushimi click his tongue in annoyance. The two of us went down the elevator and down to the foyer. The door slid open slowly, revealing Domyoji, Awashima, and the young girl. When the girl saw me, a big smile spread across her face. She looked genuinely excited to see me.

"Heʼs so _bright!_" She shrieked in sheer bliss. She dropped her backpack and darted towards me. I heard the others shout at her to stop, but her arms were already wrapped around my legs. She was petite, she didnʼt look any older than seven years old. Her brown hair curled at the ends, and when she turned her face up to me, I saw she had purple eyes. Purple so bright and a face so flawless it looked as if someone had painted it.

"Oh," I offered her a gentle smile, "hello. Whatʼs your name?"

"Iʼm Sonny!" She replied enthusiastically, jumping up and down, "My full name is Soren," then she pouted, "Itʼs a boys name."

"And your family name?" I inquired. Soren blinked and cocked her head to the right. For a moment her face was blank, then her brow furrowed.

"Whatʼs a family name?"

"Sir," Lieutenant Awashima approached us, in her hand was the letter. Her face showed concern and confusion. "You need to read this."

"I took the letter from her hands. It was crinkled and had been folded many times over. The writing was small and slanted, as if the person who had written it had been rushing. It read;

_Dear Captain Munakata, _

_We are sisters from the Mary Magdalen Catholic Convent just outside of Shizume city. Our facility was once used as an orphanage, but was turned into a convent for Sisters in the mid-eighties. However, we opened it back to Soren. We were told that, if there was something strange and seemingly dangerous happening, Scepter 4 was the place to turn to. I hope you will do something with her. Let us tell you her story. ! Soren was dropped at our doorstep as an infant in the middle of winter. Nobody knows how long she had been outside, but even with snow covering her, the child did not cry. As she got older, we began to notice certain things that were off about her. She could speak fluent Japanese and English by the time she was two, without anyone teaching her English. By the time she turned four, she began to speak French. We suspect that she is colorblind, but when she first started speaking, sheʼd point at people in public places and called them bright. We tried to give her to foster families, but she never stayed in one household for more than a month. They complained of weird things going on with her, like fits of screaming or strength that no child should have. ! We apologize, but we simply cannot house her anymore. We hope you can do something to give her a happy, controlled life._

_Thank you._

"Soren-chan," I said after finishing the letter, "did anybody come with you today?"

Soren shrugged, "Nanny Sakura and Nanny Mayu dropped me off down the street, and told me to go towards the bright building. Am I going to live here now?"

"I guess so," I replied, folding back up the letter. I heard Fushimi moan.

"Have you had many homes?" Lieutenant Awashima asked gently.

"Yeah," Soren nodded and said in a bland voice, "those homes were all dull. None of them were bright like this. Why is that? How come only some people are so bright?"

Lieutenant Awashima and I exchanged looks. I knelt down, "First, weʼll get you a room. We can talk at dinner, okay?"

"Kay!" Her smile was back and bigger than before. She skipped in a circle around me and froze, then ran back to her backpack. I noticed that the dress she wore was tattered and stained.

"Fushimi," I turned to him, "take Soren-chan and find a spare room for her."

"Me?" He made a face, "Shouldn't one of the girls do that?"

"No, I want Soren-chanʼs room near mine."

"Sir, should I find her some new clothes?" The Lieutenant asked. I nodded.

"Yes, good idea." With that, I turned and went back to my office. Why on earth would Sisters of a Church send a little girl here by herself? Something about this gave me a bad feeling. One thing was obvious – she is absolutely a strain of some sorts. However, fits of screaming, hyper strength, and strange vision impairment didn't seem to fit together.

I reached my office and sat at my desk, finding the number for the convent, and dialed. It rang three times before a voice of an old woman answered.

"Hello, Mary Magdalen Catholic Convent, this is Sister Niamh, may I help you?"

"Yes, hello, I am Reisi Munakata, the Captain of Scepter 4, and I am calling in regards to Soren."

The disembodied voice took a moment to speak, and now sounded brittle. "Oh. H-hello, sir. Please, we cannot take her back. I beg you–"

"Maʼam, thatʼs not why Iʼm calling."

"Oh thank The Lord."

"I just want to know the details on why you feel so strongly about her leaving."

"Oh, right, right. Of course. I guess we were a little brief in our letter. Well, Soren is not an average little girl. We knew that right when we found her, but she has become more violent as sheʼs gotten older."

"Violent?"

"Itʼs a bit hard to explain, I apologize. Soren is a wonderfully sweet child, she really is. She means no harm to anyone. However, sometimes she claims to get bad feelings. When this happens, we try to give her medicine, but it never helps. Then, something will happen that will set her off. She screams and cries and says things that nobody understands. She becomes so strong as well... one time she kicked a hole in a wall and broke a table. No six year old should be able to do that."

"What do you think causes these?" I leaned back in my chair, perplexed.

"Iʼm not too sure why. There is usually some disaster on TV right after her fits, and she just watches the news and cries. I donʼt understand how she could have known before hand."

"Yes... thatʼs interesting."

**Saruhiko Fushimiʼs POV**

The little girl walked beside me, clenching the hem of my uniform coat in a little hand. She had asked three times if she could hold my hand, but I rejected her. We walked in silence over to the boysʼ dormitory. I held my ID to scanner pad beside the door and waited for the door to unlock.

"Whatʼs this place?"

"Hmm?"

"What kind of place is this?"

I rolled my eyes and held the door open for her, "Weʼre like the police. But we deal with Strains."

"Stah-rains?" She dragged the word out.

"You donʼt know what a Strain is?" I asked, glancing down at her. "You are one."

"Me!?" She sped up and then stopped directly at my feet, nearly knocking me over. "Iʼm a Strain!?"

"Keep moving," I growled. "Yes, you are. Come on, _move._"

"Whatʼs a Strain do?" She began to walk again, closer now.

"They have powers." I replied shortly. Soren was quiet for a moment.

Then she said softly, "Are they like monsters?"

"Kinda," I tried to shuffle to the side, but her hand was clutching to my uniform. We made it to the top floor; there was a small room down the hall open. I opened the wooden door. I expected her to run in and shriek, but she didn't. I looked down, and Soren wasn't there. My eyes scanned the hall, and noticed that the Captain's bedroom door was opened.

"Fuck," I hissed, running towards the door. Soren was standing at the foot of the king sized four-post bed. "Hey. _Hey_, get out of there!"

"Is this Captain Munakataʼs room?"

"Yes! Now get out!" I hissed, checking down the hall to make sure nobody was coming. I swiftly sped in, stuck my hands under her armpits, then lifted her up and out of the room. I could feel how skinny and frail her bones were underneath the sack of a dress she wore.

"Hey!" She sounded offended and upset. I slammed the door shut and dropped her. She stumbled and caught herself on the wall.

"Do _not _go in there," I barked. There was a long moment of silence. In that moment, Sorenʼs eyes got wider and wider, filling with tears.

"Ah, shit..." I whispered, rolling my eyes. Just when Soren began to cry, Domyoji and Goto turned the corner.

"Fushimi!" Domyoji gasped. The two of them rushed forward.

"She was in the Captainʼs room, what did you expect me to do?" I muttered bitterly. Goto knelt down to be eye level with Soren, he pet her head gently.

"There, there, Soren-chan. What did Fushimi do?"

"He got mad at me," she sniffled, leaning into him.

"Just donʼt go into the Captainʼs room, OK?"

"How come?"

"Uh, because it's rude to barge into someone's room without them there!" Domyoji replied, smiling. Sorenʼs face lit up while she nodded, like a light just turned right on.

"Okay!" She replied gaily. She went right past us and into the room that was meant to be hers. "Wow! This room is huge!"

I could hear her shrieks of giggles as the three of us followed behind the rambunctious child. She was jumping on her new bed. The room wasn't huge; it in fact about half the size of the rooms we got. The full sized bed was tucked in the corner with white sheets, a nightstand sat beside it, and a large white dresser was on the opposite wall as the bed. The walls were, of course, blue.

"Is that all she came with?" Goto muttered so only Domyoji and I could hear. We looked down at the floor, where Soren had tossed her navy backpack. It didn't even look over packed. Domyoji nodded.

"I saw her walking up to Headquarters and stopped her. She didn't have anything else."

"Poor kid,"

"Why poor kid?" I said finally, "look at her; she's in heaven. I don't think she feels like a poor kid."

"Probably because she doesn't realize what's going on. She's too used to it." Goto replied, mumbling.

"I know," Soren had stopped jumping; she stood on the bed and looked at us without a smile. "Nobody ever wants me. I'm a monster, that's what they said. Fushimi called me a Strain. And Strains are monsters."

"You're not a monster, Soren-chan!" Domyoji quickly gushed, reaching for her and wrapping her in a hug.

"You're a little girl, just like any other little girl!" Goto agreed. I stood with my back to the doorframe. Soren's face showed no signs of delight in their words. Her face was like a mask, completely stone and unreadable.

"OK," she answered.

"Dinner is soon, Soren. The bathroom is right over there. Take a bath and someone will come get you." I ordered, turning to leave.

"Bye-bye," she replied, grinning again.


	2. Red

**Seri Awashimaʼs POV**

I was relieved the Captain let me go shopping for the girl. So many questions flooded my mind, and I needed the air to gather my thoughts. I couldnʼt help but pity her story, but she didnʼt look upset or affected by her past at all. She was ecstatic to be at Headquarters today. After buying a few outfits, all blue or purple themed, I continued to walk in the nice weather. The sun was still out and a cool breeze drifted through the cityʼs skyscrapers.

Where on earth did this girl come from? She seemed so young, but now that I thought of it, the letter did not say how old Soren is. I stared at the pavement in front of my feet, lost in thought. I accidentally went face first into a manʼs back. Startled, we both jumped and apologized.

"Iʼm very sorry, I wasnʼt watching where I was going!" I said frantically.

"Well, well, hello Seri." Izumo Kusanagi stood in front of me, holding a small crate in his hands. I looked up and saw I had wandered right over to the HOMRA bar. Izumo gave me a confused look, "You look pretty frazzled. Everything OK?"

"Oh, um, yes."

He looked down at the bags full of childrenʼs clothing, "Youʼre baby shopping?"

"No, not a baby!" I replied defensively. I hesitated, "Actually... may I come in?"

Izumo blinked, obviously a bit surprised, but then he grinned and said, "of course, Mademoiselle."

He set the crate down outside as I walked into the bar. It had just opened; a few people were sitting and eating. Izumo took me to the farthest corner of the bar and sat down beside me.

"Whatʼs up, Seri?" He asked.

"It's just... something really strange just happened. A little girl was sent to Scepter 4 today. Iʼm pretty sure sheʼs a strain, but thereʼs something really different about her. Sheʼs been kicked out of every foster home sheʼs been in and sheʼs probably only five or six!"

"Poor kid. Where did she come from?"

"Some Catholic convent outside of the city. Also, sheʼs colorblind, but apparently she calls some people ʻbrightʼ."

"Bright?"

"Yeah, when she saw Captain Munakata today, she said that he was really bright and flung herself into his arms. She also explained that her old homes were dull."

"Maybe she can see Kings and Clan members in color?" Izumo said. I sighed through my nose and thought. Then, he offered, "Wanna bring her in here, to see if she can see us in color too?"

"If you donʼt mind, I would," I replied after a moment. "I guess that part of her story reminded me of Anna, that's why I came here."

"Okay, when would you like to bring her over?" Izumo asked me, trying to hide a smug smile.

"In about an hour?"

"No problem," he winked, "see you then."

**Soren's POV**

The bathtub was hard to get in and out of. It was so big! I found bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and bubbles. I used the bubbles to make myself a bubble bath. They turned the water a light purple color and smelled like flowers. The bubbles were so high that they were taller than me, some even fell out of the tub. I was putting bubbles on my face to make myself a beard when someone knocked on the door.

"Soren?" It was the blonde lady whose name I couldn't pronounce.

"Uh-huh?" I called back, standing up. I held onto the side of the tub so I wouldn't slip. The door opened and the pretty blonde lady poked her head in. Her eyes widened when she saw me.

"W-what happened in here?" She came inside and shut the door.

"I made a bubble bath!" I threw my hands in the air to show her. She didn't say anything. I held on to the slippery white side of the tub and carefully stepped out and onto the floor. Purple colored bubbles were everywhere. Being in a place where I could see colors made me happy. The lady suddenly swooped down and wrapped me in a towel.

I looked up at her, "Are you mad?"

"N-no, Soren-chan, um, just try not to make a mess next time, OK?"

"OK, Amawisha-san!"

She laughed a little and led me away from tub, "Just call me Seri."

"How come?"

"That's my first name... Um, I bought you some new clothes, would you like to pick out something to wear?"

"Oooh! Yes!" I bounced my way through the bathroom door and over to my bed. Two dresses were already on it and a few bags sat on the floor. I squealed, dropping the towel. "They're so beautiful!"

The dress I chose became my favorite the moment I put it on. It was the color of the sky and at the bottom there were little white swirl designs. It fanned out like a Princess dress, but it stopped at my knees. The part around my shoulders and neck was white, along with the collar. I put on white socks that came up to my knees and new shiny black shoes. Seri helped tie a big blue bow around my ponytail, then we went down for dinner.

Seri led me into a room with a very long table - there were a bunch of guys I didn't know sitting there. I smiled, waved, then ran down to the other end of the table, where Captain Munakata sat.

"Do you like my new dress!?" I asked him. Someone clicked their tongue. I looked over and saw Fushimi lean back to talk to Seri.

He hissed, "Why'd you put her in some lolita dress? Isn't that inappropriate? It's short on her."

"She's six," Seri replied meanly, "if you think that, then you're the one who's inappropriate."

I walked over and squatted down beside Fushimi, who was glaring at the table now, "What's your first name?"

He stared at me for a long time before saying, "Saruhiko."

I laughed and through my arms around his neck, yelling, "Saruhiko!"

I was pried off immediately and told to sit down next to Captain Munakata. Nobody was talking all that much, but there was a ton of food. I ate slowly, staring at Captain Munakata. He turned and looked at me.

"What's your first name?" I asked him, sitting up on my knees and leaning forward.

"It's Reisi. I didn't tell you that before?"

I shook my head, "Uh-uh."

**Izumo Kusanagi's POV**

The bar was still crowded, even though Seri wanted to stop by and talk privately. I had somehow forgotten that it was a Saturday night - when HOMRA is most busy with customers. I had also failed to mention this to Totsuka, Yata, and Kamamoto, who were messing around in their own booth in the far corner. I approached them and leaned against the table.

"Kamamoto, I have a friend stopping by with some business to attend to. Could you watch the bar while I'm gone?"

"Sure, Kusanagi-san. How long will you be gone?"

I waved my hand, "Not too long, I promise-"

"WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?" Yata suddenly burst from his seat, pointing a finger towards the door. Nevertheless, there stood Seri, glancing around the bar. She scanned the whole bar, then spotted us in the corner. Keeping that stone stare, she approached us. She was out of uniform now; she wore a yellow blouse and a black skirt.

"Hello, Seri," I greeted her, smiling. Kamamoto left to attend to the bar. Yata glared viciously from his seat, but said nothing.

"Awashima-san, what brings you here?" Totsuka asked in a friendly manor.

"I came to introduce Soren to you," she replied as she looked down at her side. However, there was no one there. Seri spun around in a complete circle, suddenly looking frantic.

"W-where did she go!? I swear she was saying something to me right when we walked in!"

"Hey, hey, don't panic. She definitely just wandered somewhere in the bar. We'll help you look, OK?"

Totsuka got up and pulled Yata to his feet, "What does she look like?"

"She has brown hair and purple eyes," Seri replied, running nervous fingers through her hair, "She's a bit strange, by the way."

**Soren's POV**

I hopped up the wood steps, getting further from the noise. The bar was bright, except for a lot of the people who were sitting in there. I was following the brightness, as I got upstairs, there was a door that almost looked red. Without knocking, and very quietly, I pushed the door open and peeked inside. There wasn't much in the room, but a big man lay on the couch that was only a few feet away. He must be the King, because he was just as exciting as Reisi. I walked in and stood by his head. He had bright red hair and wore a black jacket. I leaned in real close to his face, I could hear him breathe. He smelled funny, like a fire but with a hint of something else.

"Are you napping?" I whispered. The King's eyes slowly opened. We stared at one another for a while before he finally said something.

"Who the hell are you?"

I gasped, all of my nannies told me to never, ever say the H-E-L-L word. I stared at him, waiting. I glanced at the couch, then bent down and looked underneath it. "There's no door," I observed.

"What...?"

"The Nannies at the Convent told me if you say H-E-L-L then a trapdoor would open up underneath you, and you'd go there."

The Red King's eyes narrowed at me, looking confused. He sat up and rubbed his neck, so I sat beside him.

"What's your first name?" I asked. He didn't tell me what his name was, instead he lifted me over his shoulder and walked out of the room and back down the stairs. We walked into the bar, where Seri was, and all the talking stopped.

The Red King asked in a deep voice, "Who does this belong to?"

**Seri Awashima's POV**

My heart stopped when I saw Soren slung over Mikoto Suoh's shoulder. Izumo grabbed me by the arm and pulled me as he walked towards his King. Totsuka followed behind me. Izumo whispered something to Suoh-san which made his eyes fall on me. We stepped away from the bar, in a side room and shut the door. He put Soren down a little roughly, but she shrieked with laughter and clung to his leg, as she did when she met Captain Munakata.

"Seri!" She squealed, trying to grab my hand without letting go of him, "He's a King, like Reisi!"

"She calls him by his first name?" Izumo sounded surprised. Soren started leaning all which ways, holding herself up with Suoh-san's leg.

"Soren-chan, don't hang on him like that! She doesn't have a family name, so she only wants to know peoples' given name."

Soren did as she was told, letting go of Suoh-san's pant leg, but remained close to him. She stared up at him until he looked down, then she grinned. Suoh-san, Izumo, Totsuka, and I sat down in wooden chairs facing each other as I explained Soren's situation. I explained that I wanted to see if she could see them, and if it was anything like what Anna had.

"No, Anna can only see shades of red," Totsuka explained. Soren stayed by Suoh-san. Izumo, Totsuka, and I talked for a while, and Soren ended up resting her cheek on Suoh-san's knee. He didn't seem to care. Soren then wrapped his lower leg in a hug and sunk to the ground. I watched her clutch her chest and curl up.

"Soren?" I inquired worriedly, "What's the matter?"

"I...I gotta bad feeling. In my chest. A bad feeling."

Izumo and I exchanged nervous glances.

"Too many Kings knowing about Soren isn't good," Soren said.

"Why is that, Soren-chan?"

"It isn't good," she repeated. She suddenly became a broken record; she repeated 'it isn't good' over and over again. I was frightened, unsure of what to do. However, Suoh leaned down and picked Soren up. He held her in his lap for a moment before she stopped. I swallowed hard, my mouth had gone dry.

"I think it's time we went home," I offered quietly. I reached for Soren, who took my hand silently. I said thank you to the members of HOMRA, then hailed a cab back to Headquarters. Soren didn't say a single word.


	3. Cho::Butterfly

**Saruhiko Fushimi's POV**

Finally the sun had set completely, and the city's neon luminescence made the skyline glow from my view in the small, headquarters library. With my legs propped up on the table and book opened in my lap, I stared out the window. Everyone had resided to his or her room now. Headquarters was finally in quietness that I found rather comfortable – peaceful even. The book I had chosen bored me, so I was alone with my thoughts until the door opened behind me. I turned my head and saw Lieutenant Awashima enter with Soren; both wide eyed and dazed. I took my feet down from their perch and pivoted to face them.

"Something happened," Lieutenant Awashima explained shortly in a strangely quiet tone, "I need to talk to the Captain and Soren didn't want to go with anyone else. Keep her here for a while."

Soren took a single step into the room. Her hair was down now to create a screen between us. She fidgeted with the ribbon in her small hands. The Lieutenant left without waiting for my response and shut the door behind her. Soren continued to pick at a loose fabric at the end of her ribbon.

"You'll ruin it if you do that," I said finally. She let go, letting it flutter down to the carpet it a ripple of weightless silk. I frowned, "Don't just throw it on the floor… Give it to me."

Soren did as she was told. Quickly, almost as if she were in a panic, she picked it up and brought the blue ribbon to me. She kept her arm fully extended and her hair shielding her face. I held my palm out and held the ribbon; Soren's arm flopped back down to her side after releasing it, and then didn't move. Something bad had definitely happened – both Soren and the Lieutenant made that obvious. I felt a sting of annoyance over the fact I wasn't informed before being dumped with Soren.

"Soren-chan," I craned my neck down to try and look at her face, "what happened?"

"I behaved badly," she replied in a voice thick with emotion.

God please don't start crying again, I complained silently. I rested my elbows on my knees so I was level with her face.

"Did…Lieutenant Awashima…yell at you…or something?"

Soren shook her head and finally lifted her head enough so I could see bits of her face through strands of chocolate brown hair. Her lower lip protruded out in an exaggerated pout, but the tears strolling down her face were real, "She's scared of me now."

With that, Soren stood between my knees, hugging my around the waist and burying her face into my shoulder. I became stiff, uncomfortable and clueless on what to do. Why is she my problem? Everyone in this whole goddamn base is better at this stuff than me. "Why me?" I accidentally muttered out loud.

Soren pulled away but moved her hands to my shoulders. She looked at me with big violet eyes as if the answer was obvious, "Because you don't look afraid of me."

I blinked in surprise. It was true, I realized. Everyone here has been kind to her, but they also stare at her from afar with uneasy eyes. I wouldn't consider it fear, more like pity, but she's six and doesn't understand that yet. Still, I was surprised that she was able to pick up on everyone's emotions like that.

"Neither does Reisi-san. Or the Red King."

"The Red King?" I repeated disgustedly, "Is that where you were tonight?"

She wasn't fazed by my disagreement, "Uh-huh. That's where I had my bad feeling."

I hesitated, "What are your bad feelings like?"

"I get really scared, it's always something bad. They happen when something bad is going to happen. If a lot more Kings know about me, then bad things will happen. I tried to tell them that but Seri and Izumo-san got all scared. The Red King made me feel better."

"Oh," I responded. The two of us were quiet again until she asked what kind of book I was reading, and if I'd read it to her. I shook my head, "you wouldn't like it."

"I'll find one then!" She let go of me and took off to the bookcases. I clicked my tongue but didn't bother stopping her; I'd rather be bothered with a happy kid than a crying one. I could hear her pulling books out, then disregarding them onto the floor. She finally came back with a large hardcover book with a picture of a monarch butterfly. She handed it to me, excited. I wondered why we have an entire encyclopedia on butterflies in a force dedicated to supernatural situations.

"Cho!" She chanted (meaning butterfly in Japanese), "Butterfly! Papillon!" (Butterfly in French). "Cho! Buh-tter-fly! Pah-Pee-Yon!"

"You won't understand half the words in this book," I mumbled, opening to a random page. It was a butterfly with metallic blue wings, framed by black edges. Well, I thought to myself, I could be surprised considering she knows French.

"Say the ones I will understand!"

"This one is called a Blue Morpho. They come in other colors too, but blue is what it's most popular for… um, it's wingspan is about twenty centimeters long…"

"How big is that?" Soren wanted to know; she was leaning on her elbows, bowing her head close to the book. I showed her with my fingers. She gasped in amazement.

"Are these butterflies around here?"

"No, they live in South America and Mexico," I read from the book.

She made a disappointed moan then asked, "What kind of butterflies live around here?"

I paused, "Have you ever seen a butterfly, Soren-chan?"

"Uh-uh. Only in books. Let's look at more!"

**Reisi Munakata's POV**

Lieutenant Awashima told me what had happened at the HOMRA bar. I wasn't entirely happy with her decision of bringing Soren there, but now we know that Soren can only see colors of places associated with Kings. The two of us walked through the halls to get to the library. I flung the door open and found Soren and Fushimi bent over a book. Soren was leaning against his shoulder, her arms locked around his. Fushimi was mid-sentence when we walked in; he flushed and slammed the book shut when we walked in. Relief washed over me.

"Did we interrupt a story?" I inquired, directing a teasing smirk to Fushimi. Soren looked up and bit her lip. Carefully, she got off her chair and hesitated, glancing from me to Awashima-kun. I smiled at her, which was her invitation to hug me. She clutched to my leg like a shy toddler.

"Soren-chan, don't feel bad," I assured her gently. "Nobody is angry with you."

"It's not that," Fushimi interrupted, "she doesn't want people being afraid of her."

I glanced up at him, taking note of that information. I noticed the guilty flush on Awashima-kun's face. I squatted to me eye to eye with Soren-chan.

"Don't worry about it, we're here to help you with this sort of thing."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. We'll help you control your powers, so those bad feelings don't sneak up on you anymore."

Soren's smile returned, "OK!"

Fushimi was giving me a disapproving look. The promise I made her was indeed a stretch, considering we still know nothing about the origins or the extent of her power. However, I became determined – no child should feel as though they are feared. Soren must be good at picking up on others' feelings towards her.

"Soren-cho," Fushimi began, but then caught himself and corrected his slip, "C-chan,"

Soren's laugh was like the ring of bells, "Soren-cho! Cho! Buh-tter-fly! Pah-Pee-Yon! Saru was reading to me about butterflies!"

"Was he?" I chuckled. Fushimi turned away from my amused stare. I straightened myself and offered my hand to Soren. "It's late, you need to get some sleep, Cho."

Soren's eyes lit up and she took my hand. She jumped up and down, giggling like crazy as we left the library. I smiled down at her and she grinned right back up, wrinkling her nose at me as well. She began her little chant again. (Cho! Buh-tter-fly! Pah-Pee-Yon!) She only paused to say goodnight to Fushimi, forcing a hug onto him and calling him Saru.

**Seri Awashima's POV**

It was fun to watch the Captain and Fushimi interact with Soren. First because she favored them, therefore disregarding any boundaries; second, because both of them acted slightly out of character with her.

This morning, I didn't know what to expect with the Captain. He is usually very serious – very poised and mature, not at all childish. But with Soren, he's unbelievably gentle with her. Everything softens when he's around her – his tone, his expressions, and his gestures. It's sweet, and I caught myself smiling when he decided to give her the pet name Cho.

Fushimi was my biggest surprise. The teenager with the nastiest attitude towards just about everything had become the six-year-old's favorite. Despite his grumbling and scowls, he still took Soren. He even made her feel better and read to her. He didn't seem to mind when she was leaning on him earlier, and didn't snap at her for calling him Saru.

I said goodnight to Soren and the Captain. Soren surprised me with a hug. I made my way to the girl dormitory, no longer nervous of what tomorrow will bring.


	4. Nightmare

**Soren's POV**

_The quietness of my sleep was interrupted by the sound of wind; it whispered something into my ear as it brushed across my cheek. I opened my eyes to a perfect blue sky, white clouds rolling past slowly and birds singing as they flew. I sat up, feeling the soft grass beneath me. The grass was the greenest I've ever seen before. The wind blew again, directing my attention to a bed of red tulips. I stood up, feeling slightly wobbly, but walked over to the flowers. I flopped down again and sniffed one. The smell wasn't sweet like I had expected, so I leaned in close and took a deeper breath. It was a spicy smell, like fire and a hint of something else. The scent made me want to take a nap. A cozy smell._

_Something moved in the corner of my eye, and I saw two little butterflies fluttering beyond the flowerbed. I smiled and stood with effort. My knees felt weak and unsteady, but I ignored them and made my way over to the butterflies. One was the color of liquid gold and practically shined like light. The other was as green as the grass below. They danced circles around each other, then the green one landed on me. I giggled as it flew away. The gold one followed behind and I did as well. I followed the two butterflies away from the red tulips, and as the flowers vanished from sight, the sky was no longer blue. It was a deep gray, as if it were about to rain. Everything around me dulled in vibrancy except the two dancing butterflies. However, they were getting further from me. I started running but they had already disappeared. I froze, my heart pounding. Large shadows suddenly loomed over me, although there were no trees to cast them._

_The shushing sound of something moving in grass caused me to spin around. A large, dark creature was slowly coming forward. I couldn't see any of its features besides giant golden eyes that stared directly into mine. I took a step back but was caught by a thick vine that sprung from the ground. It wrapped itself around my leg tightly while others began to rise. They bound my legs and went for my arms, and still that creature slithered forward. I screamed. I screamed and fought against the vines in vain. They were too strong and gripped me so hard it hurt. Then, all the grass around me disappeared. When those yellow eyes were directly in front of mine, the vines tossed me into the blackness. I splashed into a pool of black water, unable to see anything. I couldn't breathe and I couldn't swim. I still writhed against the vines, which still clung around my shoulders like hands._

"Soren!" A panicked voice called. "Soren! Soren! Wake up!"

My eyes opened and I realized I was screaming in my bed, while Reisi leaned over me with his hands on my shoulders. Saru stood close by, Andy and Ren stood in the doorway with frightened eyes. I stopped screaming and tried to catch my breath. Reisi sat me up and pet my head.

"It was just a dream, Cho. Just a dream."

I buried myself in his chest and cried, shaking my head. It wasn't a dream. Something bad was going to happen. I wanted to tell him this, but I couldn't get the words out. I hiccupped and sobbed into his shoulder while Reisi lifted me up and walked out of the room. He took me into his own and held me in his lap as he sat down. He rubbed my back to soothe me until I eventually fell back asleep in his arms.

**Andy Domyoji's POV**

After being woken up at four in morning by Soren's night terror, nobody was rested enough for the day. Groggily, I changed into uniform and shuffled into the hall. Akira Hidaka stood with Goto in the hall. He turned to me and straightened.

"Domyoji," Hidaka said, "the Captain summoned us to his office."

"Ah, okay," I couldn't help feeling a singe of anxiety. I followed him out of the dormitory. "What do you think it's about, Hidaka? It's so early in the morning."

"Not sure, maybe he has a special assignment for us."

"Maybe he's promoting us."

Hidaka chuckled and shook his head, "If only."

Hidaka and I nervously entered the main building of Headquarters, where the Captain's luxurious office was located. We walked up the large staircase, our uniform boots clicking in unison; then we followed the carpeted hallway to the large doors to his office. I made Hidaka knock.

"Come in," the Captain's smooth voice replied, muffled on the other side of the doors. We obeyed and walked in. The Captain was at his desk, an unfinished puzzle in front of him. Soren had a little desk of her own where she sat and colored. The Captain smiled his perfectly serene smile.

"Ah, Hidaka and Domyoji," he greeted.

"Sir!" We replied immediately, standing at attention. Soren bounced over and held a picture out for us.

"At ease," the Captain rose from his chair, "The two of you had pretty slow days today, so I was hoping you'd do me a favor."

"Yes, sir," I replied, curious.

"There is a festival by the harbor today that I was going to take Soren-chan to. I was going to have Fushimi take her, but the two of us unfortunately have business we can't get out of. If you two don't mind taking her for a couple of hours until Fushimi is free, that would be much appreciated."

"Oh! Yes, sir." Hidaka and I exchanged looks.

"Keep your uniforms on so Soren-chan can identify you in the crowds. She should be fine," He assured us, sensing our unease. Soren gave us a small sheepish grin while she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. Of course, it's not like we could refuse our own King. We both accepted and led Soren out of the building.

Today, Soren wore a lilac colored dress with a small white bow on each side where the thin straps began. Her brown curls were pulled back with a white headband. She held my hand as Hidaka led the way towards the harbor. The sun was strong and there were no clouds to offer shade.

"So what kind of festival are we going to, Soren-chan?" I asked.

"Reisi said there's gonna be lots of paintings of butterflies," she replied shortly, keeping her face fixed on the sidewalk in front of her. She was oddly behaved now; not bouncing off the walls like she is back at Headquarters. Her small hand held mine loosely, and she only spoke when she was spoken to.

"Soren, can you see any color right now?" I wondered.

"You two have blue coats on," she said in a dull tone, almost sadly, "but it's brightest when Kings are around."

"So, if Captain Munakata were here, would you see more color?"

"Uh-huh. The Brightness follows Kings."

How utterly boring we must be compared to Kings. They must radiate colors so clear for her to see that everything else just seems so depressing. No wonder why she's been so attached to him, and she's only been here for a day. We continued on the walk until the salty smell of the ocean reached my nose. The scent of the ocean along with the heat was a sure sign that summer was on its way. As promised, there were balloons tied to street blockers and gates set up to lead us to the festival. It was an art festival, with a focus on butterflies. Little kids ran around with painted faces and paper masks glued to sticks. There were games and auctions and food.

"Why don't we buy you a painting for your room!" Hidaka offered, turning around to smile at Soren. He brought her to the section where brightly colored butterflies were all around us. "Pick whatever one you like!"

Soren walked through the isles - passed the blue and green ones that had wings that resembled the ocean, passed the orange and red ones whose wings looked like flames. There were pink ones and brown ones and glittery ones as well. Suddenly, Soren looked overwhelmed and uncomfortable. I smacked myself on the forehead and snapped my head to Hidaka.

"How easy is it to forget that she's colorblind without a King?"

"Ah, shit. You're right. Poor kid. Damn it, I'm such an ass... Ah, hey, Soren-chan never mind. Why don't you get your face painted instead?"

Soren nodded and followed us to a woman with short hair and who was just finishing a boy with black and silver on his face. She looked at Soren and smiled, holding out a tray of colors, "You can pick up to three colors!"

Soren just looked at them blankly. _SHIT._ Hidaka and I quickly ushered Soren away and apologized to the woman, leaving her with a look of confusion. I groaned. What a disaster this is.

"I'm hungry," Soren said this almost like she was suggesting the idea, not stating something that was true. However, it gave us something to do until Fushimi arrived.

**Soren's POV**

Andy and Akira stood in line while we waited to order food. They said we could eat on a picnic table by the water. The people around me kept gawking at the paintings, exclaiming how beautiful they were. I desperately wished Reisi were here to help me see that. Everything looked the same. I swayed back and forth, playing with my hair. I began to sing a rhyme that my Nannies had taught me.

"Way up high, beyond the clouds,

God can see what turns Earth 'round.

Not rage, nor revenge, nor tears of blue,

just the passion burning between us two.

Not the power of money green.

Just the love 'tween you and me."

As I finished my tune, I noticed a peek of red somewhere in the crowd. I froze and searched for it again. There! A girl with white hair wore a dress that was black and red! I moved a little and saw her standing with the brown haired man I met the other night. There was another guy, one with orange hair. They had colors on them, too! I could only see the bits of red they wore, but from that I knew that they were the Red Clan.

"Red!" I shrieked, bounding forward to reach them. I heard someone yell my name, but I kept moving towards the red. However, I ran head first into someone's leg and was knocked back. The dull man apologized and helped me up. He was about to ask me a question, but I ran away from him. I could no longer see the red girl, but I still searched in that direction. After a few moments, I gave up. I turned around to find myself deep within a sea of strangers. Everything flowed together in various shades of gray. I had lost the red and blue. Andy and Akira were gone as well. My heart began to race with anxiety of being alone. I spun around and around, hoping to see some color.

Finally, there it was. Beyond the colorless people, towards the outer rim of the festival, brightness was radiating from a single spot. _A King!_ I made my way towards it, shoving through the mob. As I got closer, the bright aura was illuminating the things around me. I could see the colors on kids' faces and the purple balloon that was shaped like a butterfly. The mass of people thinned so I could find the King. I spotted him standing alone, staring down at a black device in his hand. He wore an army green jacket, despite the heat. I approached him, and as I got closer I could hear the device in his hand make a low droning sound. His gaze lifted from its screen to me.

"Hello, there," he said, smiling. Slowly, he put the black device away in his coat pocket. The King had dark hair that connected to a short beard. I thought it odd he had a beard because he didn't look old at all. His eyes were bright green, and he seemed very kind.

"You're a King," I observed, grinning. His eyebrows rose and he laughed.

"What a smart little girl! How did you know that?"

I giggled, "Kings are really bright, and I can see colors with Kings around."

"Is that so? What's your name, child?"

"Soren,"

He smiled and knelt down, "Hi, Soren. My name is Katsuro Yamauchi. I'm the Green King."

Green King. Suddenly I felt afraid, but I didn't know why.

"Are you alright, Soren-chan?"

"I'm here with Andy and Akira," I blurted quickly, "I lost them."

"Oh dear," his voice remained smooth and calm, "would you like me to help you find them?"

I shook my head, "No, I can-"

"Soren-chan, I can't let a little girl like you wander around by yourself. Besides, I know Andy and Akira."

"You do?"

"Yup. I'm friends with the Blue King, Reisi Munakata."

He offered me a hand, so I took it. He's a King that is friends with Reisi. He'll take me to him. Even while thinking this, I couldn't help feeling slightly anxious. As we walked, Katsuro kept talking to me. He asked about Reisi and how he was doing and also when I was given to him. I answered all his questions, beginning to feel a little more relaxed. Then, Katsuro handed me a little metal charm. It was a green butterfly.

The dream I had the night before flooded into my mind, causing me to stop dead in my tracks. Katsuro stopped as well. I threw the charm as hard as I could, sending it flying over the heads of dull bystanders. I noticed that we had wandered far from the festival, and there weren't many people standing around us. I tried to rip my hand free of his, but Katsuro's other hand gripped onto my upper arm so tight it hurt. I struggled against him.

"Get the fucking van over here," I heard him mutter, "she's going to cause a fucking scene."

I fought against him as hard as I could, but he was still able to lift me up and toss me into the nearest alleyway. I landed on the cement with a thud and suddenly had a hard time breathing. I couldn't yell for help, I couldn't even move.

"I don't care!" I noticed Katsuro was speaking into a little microphone clipped to his jacket, "She's worth a lot in our world. Why should Munakata get to have her and let her precious powers go to waste?"

There was a pause. I gathered the effort to roll over, but immediately my ankle was grabbed and dragged backward. Katsuro answered a voice I couldn't hear, "If she does hold enough power to reenact the blast, and I can't control it for myself, I'll kill her and burn her body myself... I don't give a rat's ass how old she is. She's not real, remember?" He flopped down, sitting beside me.

"God _fucking_ damnit, Eri. How many questions are you going to ask before we get this one mission done with?"

"STOP!" A familiar voice made Katsuro and I jump. Andy, Akira, and Saru stood at the entrance of the alleyway. I tried to crawl towards them, but Katsuro dragged me backwards again. He just smirked at them.

"Hello, boys. Can I do something for you?"

"Let Soren go." Saru demanded viciously. They wielded their swords, sending blue sparks flying.

"Hm," Katsuro nudged me with his foot roughly, "Finders keepers."

**Saruhiko Fushimi's POV**

Although I had alerted the Captain when I found out that Soren had gone missing, I couldn't tell how long the three of us could hold off the Green King. Katsuro Yamauchi, the ruthless Green King who is known for his dirty business in the Black Market. He sells illegal weapons, animals, and all his men are employable assassins. Of course, all of these are without hard evidence. Yamauchi stood, scratching his beard.

"You see, boys, I don't think you have any idea what you're dealing with here." He motioned to Soren with a jerk of his head. "And I'll let you in on some secret information on one condition."

"And what's that?" Hidaka asked, although I was sure we all knew the answer.

"I'll tell you everything I know about little miss Soren here, as long as I get to keep her."

I moved my grip on my sword but didn't reply to him. I tried to plan it out in my head. If I agreed to this offer, got all the information, and then attacked anyway, would I be able to make it? I have no idea just how many of his clan members are watching right now. For all I know I could be a sniper's target. However, the information about Soren is what the Captain's been trying to dig up since yesterday... I need backup, and I need it now.

With enormous luck, the voice of Lieutenant Awashima sounded from my earpiece, "Five minutes away."

There was no way I'd be able to tell them the situation without Yamauchi hearing. It all had to be on luck. I lowered my sword, "Start talking."

"F-Fushimi!" Domyoji exclaimed in anger. I shot him a look which made him shut up.

"Soren actually belonged to the Gold King before she was dropped off at the Catholic Convent. She was supposed to be destroyed, but the scientist who was in charge of that simply couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he brought her somewhere outside the city. As you can imagine, the Gold King found out, but only a little while ago when the Kings' Weismann levels got all out of whack. It was being intercepted by another outside power - Soren-chan. As she got older, her powers got stronger. Who knows the things she's capable of now, let alone in ten years or so."

"The Gold King hired _you_ to find her?" I inquired, "Out of everyone, he chose the greediest King?"

"The King most skilled in finding things that aren't meant to be found." He replied with a wink. I saw his body tense, and I readied myself. With tremendous speed, Yamauchi came forward and went for a punch. As I dodged that, he used his green aura to pin me to the ground by my neck. When Domyoji and Hidaka moved to help, he sent them flying back against the building's facade.

"Let go of him!" I heard Soren scream. I couldn't get air into my lungs. I struggled against the green aura, staring up into Yamauchi's satanically amused eyes.

"Let go! Let go! You're going to kill him!" Soren's desperate screams began to become more distant. Shit. No, I can't die like this. But suddenly, there was a flash of light, and the force pushing against my neck was released. When I took a heaving breath in, dust entered my lungs. I coughed painfully, gagging on the dryness left in my mouth. My ears rung and my head pounded as I sat up. The whole alley was demolished; the concrete and brick was torn up like a bomb had exploded. Soren stood still, eyes wide. Domyoji and Hidaka got to their feet as well, covered in debris but otherwise unscathed. The Green King was no where to be seen.

**Author's Note:** I know the movie is coming out soon, but since we haven't been introduced to the Green King or Clan yet, I am making them Original Characters.


	5. Post-Nightmare

**Tatara Totsuka's POV**

The earth rumbled as a loud explosion sounded nearby. The crowded harbor went silent for only a second before screams erupted. Panic struck like a wave and sent a flood of horrified people in the opposite direction. A cloud of smoke rose between two buildings and was taken over the ocean in a gentle breeze. Yata and I exchanged worried glances. In mutual understanding, I scooped Anna into my arms and followed behind Yata's skateboard towards the chaos. When we approached the scene, a black and green van sped out, nearly hitting us.

"BASTARDS!" Yata hollered after them, stepping off his skateboard. He stepped on the end which sent the front up and into his hand. I realized as we neared the buildings that the gray mist filling the air was dust, not smoke. Yet, it was somehow painful to breathe in – like I was breathing in shards of glass.

"Here, Anna," I pulled a handkerchief out of my pocket and handed it to her. She held it up to her mouth for protection. The sound of gasping coughs reached my ears.

"Hello?" I called. I held out a hand to Yata and Anna, motioning them to stay. I stepped into the cloud of dust. My eyes stung immediately and began to water. What on earth caused this explosion? Slowly, a singing feeling began to crawl across my face and hands. Like someone was pouring acid on my skin. I caught a glimpse of blue and was about to call out again, but the person in blue hurtled through me, knocking me down. Two others followed close in pursuit, and I was then dragged out of the smog. The inside walls of my nose, my throat, and all the way down to my lungs burned like hell. I clutched my chest, coughing uncontrollably. I turned myself over, spitting on the ground. The burning sensation dulled only slightly.

"Saru!" I heard Yata gasp over the chorus of coughs and gags. The three Scepter 4 members were covered head to toe in the bizarre soot. The one who had saved me was rubbing his hands desperately, groaning in pain. Saruhiko was kneeling on the ground, holding the small girl in his arms, his glasses were missing from his face. Soren was completely spotless. Not even a stain on her light dress. Her purple eyes were huge, unblinking.

"Soren," Saruhiko was shaking her shoulders. He twitched a few times, grunting in pain. Then, he took his soiled uniform jacket off, turned it inside out and began to wipe his face furiously. He cursed and threw the coat to the ground in frustration. The acidic dust had come off, so the others did the same. Saruhiko panted, occasionally coughing and wincing. He looked up and met my gaze.

"Did you see," it took a lot of effort for him to speak, "the Green King?"

"The… No, I didn't," I replied breathlessly, "But there was a van that came over from this direction. Fushimi, what happened?"

His eyes drifted down to the ground as he recalled the recent events, then they went to Soren. He shook his head and put it between his knees, trying to take deep, even breathes. The other two sat nearby, one on all fours gagging. The other held his phone up to his ear.

"L-Lieutenant," he tried to say, "ambulance. W-we need medical, agh, medical care."

Just then, two Scepter 4 Hummer trucks pulled in. The King himself stepped out and walked forward. I shuffled my position so I was sitting on my knees, still feeling out of breath although I hadn't been in the dust for too long. My skin stung uncomfortably and my throat still burned, but I could only imagine the pain that was inflicted on the members of Scepter 4.

"Soren," The Blue King took the little girl by the shoulders, "What happened?"

Soren kept her wide, fearful eyes locked on Saruhiko and the others. More members dressed in the blue uniform rushed forward to help them.

"Soren!" The King barked, snapping Soren's attention to him.

"He was hurting them," she whispered, "Saru was being choked. I was scared. I-I couldn't help it. I didn't want to hurt them. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I-I'm so s-sorr-" She couldn't even finish her word before the sobs started. Soren tilted her head back and cried, wailing 'I'm sorry' up at the King.

Lieutenant Awashima appeared in front of me, glaring down, "I think it's time you left."

"Yes," I replied, standing, "I'm sorry. I... I hope everyone is OK."

My remark was left unacknowledged. I grabbed Anna's hand and began to walk away. Yata lingered for a moment longer, but then followed. The three of us walked through the city in silence, desperately trying to make sense of what just happened. Why was the Green King there? He hasn't been seen out in public for nearly a year. And was Soren really the one to cause that explosion? The sun burned bright above and left no shadows to relieve us from the heat.

Finally, we came to the English style bar. I entered HOMRA and went straight for the sink behind the bar. I splashed water on my face and scrubbed my hands until the stinging went away. I took a glass from the bar shelf and gulped the water down in desperation to cool the burning sensation within me. Akagi and Bando sat at the bar in confusion and concern. Kusanagi-san seemed taken aback as well.

"What's going on?" He demanded, "You look like a wreck."

"Soren," I replied, gasping for air, "That little girl that Awashima brought here last night. She... I guess she caused a mass explosion..."

Kusanagi-san's eyebrows wrinkled, "A six year old?"

"I don't really get it either, but..."

"She was crying," Anna finished for me.

"Y-yeah, she even said it was her fault. And apparently the Green King had been there, too." Yata added.

Akagi was shaking his head, "Didn't you once say the Green King hasn't been out in Shizume city in a while, Kusanagi-san?"

"Yes, that's true. He doesn't do anything himself nowadays."

"Fushimi was there," Anna said in her soft voice. Silence lingered between us.

"He was the one who asked if we had seen the Green King," I explained, "he looked really freaked out. Oh, and the dust, the explosion lifted some kind of dust that was really painful. I breathed it in and went into a cloud of it, it felt like acid was burning through me."

"I'm going to tell Mikoto about this," Kusanagi-san scratched his chin thoughtfully. "This is bizarre."

"What kind of strain is the little girl?" Bando asked me, but I couldn't answer him.

**Saruhiko Fushimi's POV**

The burning pain finally ceased to eat at my skin when I was doused with water. The medics ordered me to drink constantly all day in order for the pain in my lungs and throat to discontinue as well. I was asked over and over - what happened. But I wasn't sure what went on. I remember being choked by the Green King, his body looming over me, and hearing Soren scream. Then, there was a blinding flash of light. There was no booming explosion to follow yet my ears immediately began to ring and throb, muffling the sounds around me. Even now, my hearing was stilled impaired. Domyoji and Hidaka looked dazed disturbed in the ambulance on the way back to headquarters. We showed no signs of fatal or serious wounds.

When we returned to headquarters, I was summoned to Captain Munakata's office. Lieutenant Awashima escorted me as we walked silently through the halls. The atmosphere was tense, and I was well aware as to why. We had started a war.

Lieutenant Awashima didn't even knock when the Captain's voice sounded from inside, "Enter."

Soren stood to the right of the desk, the way she had been the night before. Her face was shielded by a curtain of hair and her hands found the hem of her dress to tear at. The Captain stood by the window with his back to us. When Soren heard us enter, she retreated even further - hunching over a little and bringing her shaking hands closer to her face.

"I need a detailed report," the Captain said without turning, "right now."

"I showed up to the festival," I began, "Hidaka and Domyoji said that Soren had run off, claiming to see red. They said they ran after her, but lost her in the crowd. As we searched, we went out of the crowd and I noticed her with a man. They were far from the festival, about to turn a corner. I watched as she threw something and him grabbing her and disappearing into the alley. I didn't know it was the Green King until we found them in the alley."

"And the explosion?" The Captain sounded impatient.

"I knew backup was close... so I agreed to a term which the Green King had offered." I replied carefully. The Captain finally turned and looked at me, ready to hear what I had to say. "He told me that if he could have Soren then he'd tell me what he knew about her."

"What did he say?" He asked slowly.

I explained what the Green King had told me; how Soren had belonged to the Gold King and was sentenced to be destroyed. Instead, a scientist brought her outside of the city. I used the same terminology that the Green King had used - "destroy" and "belonged". It still made no sense.

"The Gold King is looking for her?"

"Apparently so," I glanced to Soren. She hadn't moved from her spot. "That's when he attacked me. I suppose he planned on telling me this and then killing me so you wouldn't get ahold of the information. He used his aura to choke me. I could hear Soren screaming... and then there was a flash of light. Everything just tore apart, but there was no actual explosion that I could hear. The Green King was thrown off me, and then he disappeared. Totsuka from the Red Clan was there, he claimed to see a van escape from the area."

"So you didn't actually see if Soren made the explosion?"

"No," I frowned, "but there is no other explanation. She even admitted to it."

He was denying the fact that Soren was capable of such destruction. He looked to her and then turned back to the window. He was stressed. "This won't be good." He said.


	6. War

**Reisi Munakata's POV**

After sending Fushimi and Lieutenant Awashima way, I waited towards the window. Soren hadn't spoken a single word since she stopped crying. The sun was still hanging in the afternoon sky, casting shadows throughout the city. The mazes of streets and alleys switched from golden to dark in a pattern. It would have been difficult enough if it were just the Green King, but if it's the Gold King that's after Soren... then I don't stand a chance.

"Soren-chan," I finally said, turning, "did you cause the explosion?"

There was no reply from her, she seemed even smaller than before. She stood with her head bowed and her hands close to her stomach. I stepped forward and approached her petite figure, "Soren-chan."

Finally those big violet eyes caught mine. She looked scared. I crouched down which caused her head to snap back down.

"Soren-chan, don't be afraid."

"I hurt Saru," she whispered. I shook my head and brushed her hair away from her face.

"No, you didn't. You saved him. You saved him, and Domyoji and Hidaka. The Green King was the one who was hurting them."

Tears began to spill over onto her cheeks. Her lips quivered, but she buried her face into my shoulder when I tried to wipe them away. I took breath, feeling the stress in my shoulders. I lifted Soren from the floor and held her in my arms. She clung around my neck, holding herself even closer. I walked out of the office and carried the crying child. I took her into the dormitory, and brought her to her room. I took out her nightgown and dressed her, then brought her quilt with her into my room. When she finally cried herself to sleep, I left as quietly as I could.

Lieutenant Awashima, Fushimi, Hidaka, and Domyoiji were all standing in my office when I returned.

"Sir," They all saluted, but I waved my hand dismissively.

Awashima quickly informed, "We were able to record the call the Green King was on during the time he had Soren. Fushimi contacted us in time so that we intercepted the cell signal."

"Well play it," I ordered. Awashima took out her phone, then the hologram of a voice memo appeared. She hit play.

Struggling noises filled the room, then the angry voice of the Green King muttered, "Get the fucking van over here, she's going to cause a fucking scene."

"Yes, sir," a woman's voice replied. "We are on our way now."

There was a pause with more noises, grunting and fighting from Soren somewhere in the background. The woman spoke again, "Sir... is this right? She's a child..."

"I don't care!" The Green King screamed back, "She's worth a lot in our world. Why should Munakata get to have her and let her precious powers go to waste?"

"B-but sir, she could go off any moment, you _know_ that! What if we can't control her? She's a time bomb that can destroy half the city."

"If she does hold enough power to reenact the blast, and I can't control it for myself, I'll kill her and burn her body myself."

"She's six!"

"I don't give a rat's ass how old she is! She's not real, remember?"

"I know that's what the Gold King said, but do you _really_ believe that?"

The recording ended there. We all sat in silence for a moment.

"What the hell did they mean by she's not real?" Hidaka questioned with a horrified face. I shook my head a took a deep breath. I dismissed everyone, I needed time to think. How on earth has it come to this? A few minutes later, the phone rang.

I lifted the phone to my ear, "Hello?"

"Ah, Munakata, how are you?" The voice of Katsuro Yamauchi replied.

"I should have known you'd contact me after what happened," I growled.

"Look, I guess what happened this afternoon was a bit over the top. I sorta realized kidnapping her wasn't the best idea. So, how about we do this like men, eh? May I please take Soren?"

"You really expect me to agree?"

"I'm asking nicely," he replied as a matter of factly.

"No,"

"Hmm... well that just won't do. Munakata, you're a pretty smart guy, I'll give you that. Do you think holding onto her - when you know nothing about her and when the Gold King wants her - is a good idea? C'mon, use your head."

"I am not handing her over after the stunt you pulled. She is a child. I don't know what you'll do to her when you have her and I am not risking her safety to find out!"

The Green King clicked his tongue three times, "So, it's a flat no?"

I didn't answer.

"Let's have a little fun, eh? Consider this war between the Blue and Green clans. I look forward to playing with you." _Click._ I put the phone back down to its receiver gently. I put my elbows on the desk and held my head in my hands. What did I just do?


	7. Gold

_Once again, super super late. I'm sorry, life has been demanding and I'm also really into my other K fanfic - Their Rebellion. I'm trying my best!_

* * *

**Saruhiko Fushimi's POV**

"Sir, I really must protest!" Lieutenant Awashima and I were tailing the Captain as he stormed across the Scepter 4 building. His long legs moved quickly, making it hard for us to keep up. He ignored Awashima's objection.

"You're really going to the very person who wants Soren dead?" I snapped.

"It's the only way," he replied hastily.

Neither of us obeyed.

"They only way?" I hissed, "To do what? Sir-"

"Fushimi, please," the Captain stopped suddenly and turned to me, "I know what I'm doing."

_I don't think you do,_ I wanted to say, but I held my tongue.

"At least don't go alone." Awashima added.

"The two of you will be the only others accompanying me."

"But-"

"It's final. Fushimi-kun, will you go get Soren?"

My eyebrows lifted, "We're taking her?"

The Captain was always good at keeping a stone-like facial expression. Calm. He never lost his cool in battles or any situation. However, the stress in his face was very much obvious. I didn't bother arguing further. I clicked my tongue and made my way to Soren's room. I knocked on the wooden door and opened it.

"Soren-chan?"

"Saru!" She flung herself around my waist.

"Come with me,"

"Where are we going?" She stepped away and looked up at me with her big purple eyes. I took a deep breath.

"Don't worry about it, Cho. Captain Munakata and Lieutenant Awashima are coming with us."

Soren did as she was told. I helped her put little black buckle shoes on and let her hold my hand back to where I left my superiors. It was too late when I realized Soren was still in her pajamas.

"Are we going out to breakfast?" She wondered innocently while I helped her into the car. I didn't reply to her. I sat in the seat beside her since the Captain and Lieutenant got the front seats. Soren kept asking questions, which we all dismissed. But Soren wasn't stupid. She finally went quiet and had a concerned look on her face. A delicate hand reached up and clung to my sleeve. _She's nervous now,_ I thought painfully. I wondered if she was about to have one of her fits or if she was just picking up on our vibes. The van came to a halt in front of a tall black building. The four of us exited the van, and I was silently deemed Soren's caretaker once again.

"What's this place?" Soren asked. She wouldn't move from the sidewalk. She had to tilt her head all the way back to see the top. The Captain was already halfway up the steps, so I scooped her up and carried her on my hip. She was so light that I didn't exactly mind carrying her. Soren gripped the fabric of my uniform and held herself close while we entered the luxurious building. A man in traditional clothing stopped us.

"Reisi Munakata," said the Captain, "Blue and Fourth King, also Captain of Scepter 4. I am here to see the King."

"What are your intentions?" The man demanded in a deep voice.

"Tell him it's in regards to that thing that he thought was destroyed six years ago."

The man's shoulders tensed noticeably. He nodded and disappeared through a matte black door. Soren was glancing around.

"This place is bright," she told me, "what's this place?"

"A king lives here," I explained.

"Which one?"

"Dunno," I lied. Soren smiled.

"I like meeting the other Kings! Is this one like Reisi and Mikoto? Or is he like the bad one?" She said the last sentence in a theatrically low voice.

I said again, "Dunno."

Soren's eyed peered into mine and suddenly the smile dropped, "Liar."

My stomach churned but I pretended not to care. I fixed my eyes on the door and waited for the man to return. He did, and permitted us entrance into an elevator. It had no music inside which left us in an apprehensive silence. Soren had her cheek resting on my shoulder when the doors opened at the top floor. A small group of about seven clansmen stood to the side of the Gold King. The two Kings greeted each other with frightening tension. I have never seen the Gold King before. Just being in the same room was overwhelming.

"You said that you're here about something that you shouldn't even know about." The Gold King's voice was much more powerful than I had expected from an old man. Soren was staring at him with big eyes. Her frail frame was quivering in my arms.

"I just want to know why you're trying to kill her," Captain Munakata's voice was low. The Gold King's brow furrowed.

"Who?"

A moment of silent confusion passed, and the Captain turned to me and Soren. I took my cue and stepped forward with her and tried to set her down. However, she refused by lifting her legs away from the ground and clinging tighter to my neck. I stood back up and watched the Second King's face drop. Something... no, it was very clear what emotion it was - despair - washed over his face.

"What are you trying to tell me?" He demanded in a less overpowering tone.

"This is Soren," Captain Munakata explained, "She's the girl that contains the power you invented."

"How do you know of this?"

"The Green King came for her. He tried to take her and kill my men, but before doing so he explained some things to them. He hadn't planned on losing."

Now the Gold King was angry, but his eyes went back to Soren and they softened again. "I had no idea it became a human."

The Gold King then told us the story. In the lowest level of the building we were in now, the Dresden Slate was protected and experimented with. The King's scientist believed that the Slate had enough power to create life. Real life alchemy. So, they gathered the genetic material to create a human - all the necessary elements. When the Slate was activated, the thing it had created did not seem human. It was a mass of deformed skin which seemed to be bubbling from the inside. There was a mouth, and it had let out the most horrific scream. It was so loud that things began to shatter. Only seconds later it stopped and began to make chocking and inhuman gurgling. It was frightening, so the Gold King sentenced it to be destroyed.

"It must have turned into a human when the scientist was made responsible for it," finished the Gold King somberly.

"The Green King is trying to make a plan to cross you," the Captain warned. He held out a flash drive, "We were able to record a phone call he was having while he kidnapped Soren. He wants to use Soren's power, thought I'm not sure for what."

The Gold King paused, then motioned for the Captain to follow him. The two then walked away into another room. Soren's body was heaving and trembling.

"When are we going home, Saru?"

"Soon," I replied, "once Munakata is done talking with the Gold King, we'll go home."

It took much longer than I thought. My arms and back were beginning to ache from bearing Soren's weight for so long. But the two kings reappeared. Captain Munakata had a very grave expression on his face. I felt my stomach flip anxiously. The Gold King stopped by his own men and muttered something that I couldn't hear. They all nodded and approached me. While they walked over my own King explained.

"They are going to take care of you for a while, Cho."

"Wait, _what?_"

"The Gold King is a nice man, and he'll be able to protect you better from the Green King than us." The Gold clansmen reached out, and I allowed them to take Soren from my arms. The moment they touched her, she began to scream. She clung to my uniform and wailed.

"_NO!_ NO, NO, NO! I DON'T WANNA! I DON'T WANNA GO WITH THEM!"

"Soren, it'll only be for a little while."

"YOU'RE LYING! WHY ARE YOU LYING? WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME UP? I DON'T WANT TO GO WITH THEM, I DON'T!" They finally undid her grip on my collar. She began to kick and twist and scream as tears fell from her eyes. I have never seen anyone act like this and it was honestly a little frightening. I couldn't find any words to say, so I just took a few steps back and watched.

"NO! I'M GOING HOME WITH REISI! I'M GOING _HOME!_ I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE! STOP IT! PLEASE, PLEASE, _PLEASE,_ SAY SOMETHING! SARU, SERI SAY SOMETHING! STOP THEM, PLEASE!" She said my name and I felt a stinging emotion singe my stomach all the way up to my nose. That burning feeling just before you tear up...

She kicked and failed against the gold clansmen.

"We're not going to hurt you, Soren-chan!"

"Don't worry, you can see Scepter 4 all the time if you want-"

Soren let her whole body go limp and she fell to the floor face down. Uncontrollable sobs echoed around us. "I d-d-don't want to l-l-leave th-them."

"It'll be easier if we just go," I heard myself saying. The Lieutenant had tears pooling in her eyes. She bit her lip in agony and turned to the door. I looked at the Captain, who remained stoic. Resentment boiled within me, but I understood his decision. He took a step back and pivoted, turning his back to Soren.

"NO!" She bawled. She reached for him but was restrained by the rattled clansmen. "DADDY!"

Shock struck the Captain's face. He froze, but squeezed his eyes shut and continued to walk on. An unsettling feeling in my stomach lingered even when we were outside on the pavement.

"Shit," I finally found my voice, "why did we do that."

"You know why," replied the Captain. "We can't protect her from the Green King like the Gold King can."

I was about to snap again, but pressed my lips shut again. The Captain had opened the driver door. He sat himself in the seat with his legs out the door and held his head in his hands. His leg trembled and I watched him swallow hard. I took a sharp sigh and felt the overwhelming urge to hit something. Instead, I put my forehead against the side of the van and closed my eyes.


	8. Time

**Seri Awashima's POV**

Days passed slowly after we left Soren in the custody of the Gold King. Those of us who witnessed Soren's fit – The Captain, Fushimi, and I – were having trouble getting back in the swing of things. I found myself losing focus often and replaying her tantrum in my mind. No matter where I was, tears would sting my eyes and I'd have to excuse myself to the bathroom. Fushimi was off, too. He didn't scowl or click his tongue at anyone… he was uneasily quiet. However, the King was my biggest concern. It was obvious that he was eating less, and his uniform was beginning to sag from his body. The rest of Scepter 4 wouldn't mention Soren – they looked at us worriedly but said nothing. They weren't there, and I guess they understand that something _must_ have happened to make their King act differently.

It took us six days to muster the will to go back to the Gold King and visit Soren. The King had told Fushimi and me that he spoke with a Gold clansmen.

"He said Soren's attitude improved significantly. She was bad for the first three days, but she's better now."

"That's good to hear," I replied, trying to shake the past memories. I studied the King, who was zoning out the window.

He took a sharp breath in and said in a distant voice, "Strange, isn't it...?"

"What is, sir?"

"Soren was only with us for a total of three days... yet it feels... felt like we had her for months."

"A lot happened in those three days," I said gently. I couldn't imagine how the Captain must be feeling. The little girl thought of him as her own father, and he had to leave her behind. I wondered if this meeting would do any good or just cause more pain. The Captain nodded vacantly, still staring out his window as we waited for Fushimi.

* * *

The Gold clansmen had their work cut out for them with Soren. At first, she rarely ate or came out of her bedroom. She had spiraled into a scary depression where she wouldn't even acknowledge the clansmen around her. She'd sit by windows and stare down at the streets, waiting for a sign of Blue. Then she warmed up to them on her third day - and by the evening she was a raging ball of energy. She was always disappearing in the giant building; they often found her riding up and down the elevators. When they caught her, she'd laugh and run away from them and hide. When she wasn't playing hide and seek with them, she'd be nagging them with questions and always add "why" to every answer she was given.

"Why doesn't the King come and play?" She asked while she was being taken to lunch.

"He's a very busy man, he _is_ the Second King, you know."

"What's Second King mean?"

"The Kings are numbered by the order they were created. The Silver King is the First King, then the Gold King, then Red, then Blue–"

"Daddy Reisi is the Blue King," she said as-a-matter-of-fact-ly. The clansmen nodded and smiled.

"And the Fourth King,"

"Mikoto is the Red King, I know him, too."

"The Blue King is coming to see you today, Soren-chan."

Her head snapped up. Her hair was in a ponytail with a white scrunchy. The Gold clansmen dressed her in traditional kimonos, which were usually mostly white but each of her kimonos had different colored flower designs. She didn't say anything or ask a question - she just stared up with big eyes. He couldn't tell if she were afraid or nervous or upset.

"Is that OK?" He wondered. She nodded and turned her face forward again. After a moment, she looked back up at the clansman.

"Is Saru coming, too? And Seri?"

"Well... I don't know. We'll have to wait and see." He was trying to figure out how she felt. She didn't look like she were about to have another fit. In fact, she seemed too OK with it. She seemed totally fine.

* * *

**Reisi Munakata's POV**

I stepped lightly through the lobby of the Gold King's building. A clansman was waiting by an elevator to escort us inside. Fushimi and Awashima had remained in silence since we left headquarters. My stomach flipped around in my stomach, making me queazy and nervous. Silence continued while we made our way to where Soren was eating lunch. I felt like it was going to drive me crazy - the only thing I could think of was her screams. When I turned my back on her and she called me daddy.

The ding from the elevator startled me. The golden doors slid open smoothly, revealing a long hallway of doors. The Gold clansman stepped out of the elevator and led us down the hall. The room he opened was on far down the corridor; he knocked twice before opening it.

"Ah, Daichi-san, look!" Soren was laying on her stomach coloring with a half eaten rice ball on a plate beside her. She lifted a picture up and her violet eyes caught my own. I waited.

"Daddy Reisi," Soren stood and brought the picture to me. "I made it for you. For when you came."

It was a garden of red flowers and small, blue butterflies. Relief washed over my shoulders to the point I almost sighed aloud. I smiled and bent down.

"Thank you, Cho." A bright smile appeared on Soren's face. Her small arms wrapped around my neck. I picked her up and squeezed her close to my chest.

"Saru! Seri!" She exclaimed in her high voice. "I'll make you pictures, too!"

We sat around while Soren told us about her week and colored for us. She kept coming up to me, asking me to draw something specific like a car or a rose. She drew Fushimi a picture of him riding in a Scepter 4 car, surrounded my a myriad of fish. Awashima-kun got a picture of all different kinds of flowers that Soren had my draw for her. Soren seemed to be doing just fine and I was put at ease knowing this. We spent hours with Soren in her room. Then she wanted to give us a tour. When the time came for us to leave, I tensed again. But Soren didn't cry. She hugged each of us, kissed my cheek delicately, and waved goodbye.

These visits continued for three weeks. Soren would shriek with excitement when we arrived and kiss out cheeks when we left. I missed her having her around the office, but I was at peace. Awashima-kun and Fushimi also returned to normal after visiting Soren. Now, the only stress in my life was the fact that the Gold King claimed that the Green King had vanished.


	9. Home

_**NOTE:** I'M SORRY BUT I'M CHANGING MY WRITING STYLE: Just because I like switching points of views with this anime since there are so many main characters but it's hard doing that in first person and still trying to maintain the character's personality. Please bear with my inability to publish quickly!_

* * *

Rain fell heavy on the rooftops of Scepter 4. It was a typical lazy Sunday - with the sun hidden away behind dark clouds, nobody had the energy to do anything. Scepter 4 had been working closely with the Gold clan to find the Green King. However, they found themselves without any luck. It was the Green King's specialty; he's the one who cannot be found except by those who already know where he is.

"Sir," said Seri, "perhaps we should try checking places around the city?"

"Or underneath…" Fushimi added very quietly. Reisi turned his head to the dark haired boy and considered that.

"Even if he was in the sewers," he replied while thinking deeply, "we'd be able to detect his aura... Unless he was deeper than that...?"

Reisi remained where he was for a brief moment. He nodded once and stood abruptly. He felt as though he had to bring this to the Gold King's attention as soon as he could. He picked up the phone and called the Golds and was immediately allowed over to the Gold King's building. While Reisi and the Gold King discussed this new theory, Saruhiko and Seri went to go see Soren. A clansman escorted them up a flight of stairs to where Soren's bedroom was.

"She's getting along fine here, then?" Seri asked while they walked.

"Yes," said the gold clansman, "she's a handful, but she's doing just fine here."

"Good… that's good–"

"_Shh!_" Saruhiko suddenly shushed them. The three of them paused and listened. Muffled screaming finally reached their ears. They knew who it was. Up the stairs, through a door, down a wide hall, and to another door - the screaming got louder. The clansman threw the door opened for them to find another gold clansman trying to restrain a flailing Soren. She was screaming and lashing out while he tried to calm her.

"Soren! Soren, what's the matter? What hurts? What happened?" He looked up at Seri and Saruhiko desperately. "What do I do!?"

He let go of her limbs for only a moment. She seized and writhed so violently that they feared she would hurt herself. Saruhiko and Seri both approached Soren, trying to yell over her screams. Seri leaned in and tried to stroke the girl's head, but Soren's hand swiped at Seri and left a scratch on her cheek. Seri flinched back and put her hand on her wound. Finally the four of them got ahold of a limb, pinning her to the floor of her room. Soren arched her back, threw back her head and let out a gut-wrenching scream of fear and agony. The glass from the windows cracked and all the lights suddenly blew out. Dust fell from the lights onto the Blue and Gold clansmen. Saruhiko leapt back.

"Shit, that dust is poisonous…"

"What!?" The clansmen turned their faces up.

Seri's exposed hands, legs, shoulders began to feel warm, then sting, then burn, then she cried out in pain and rubbed the back of her hands on her coat. However, the dust had covered her completely and she only caused herself more pain. Blood began to leak from an open burn on the back of each hand.

"Lieutenant!" Saruhiko shouted, also wincing, "Just get out of the room and rinse it off with water!"

Seri ran out of Soren's room into the hall which was no longer lit. The lights here had blown out as well. She managed to find a bathroom where she was able to get the acidic dust off of her. Her hand shook from the pain and shock. As fast as she could, Seri bolted through the halls to find the two Kings. She ran through the luxurious building until she literally ran into another clansman. The two of them toppled over onto the floor.

"Where are the Kings!?" She asked viciously.

"Wh-"

"Soren is in trouble!" She didn't wait for a reply, "We need them _now._"

The clansman nodded then scurried to his feet. He went a few meters down the hall before knocking on a door. Seri followed and waited for the Kings to open the door. Captain Munakata stood in the doorway, confused. When he saw the blood dripping off his Lieutenant's fingers and her frightened face, he didn't even hesitate. He stepped out of the room and let Seri lead him to where Soren was, walking quickly.

"What's wrong with her?" He demanded to know.

"I have no idea. She was having a fit when Fushimi and I got there. It's a lot worse than what we've seen."

"She's been acting strange all day," said the Gold clansman whom they hadn't realized was in tow with his own King. The four of them made their way towards Soren's room, passing a single threshold to where the building turned dark. The screaming then followed. Reisi's stomach dropped in fear and concern for the little girl. He broke into a run when they turned a corner and saw the two Gold clansman with Saruhiko fighting against Soren in the hall. Blood was running from wounds on the clansmen's face and exposed arms.

"Soren!" The Blue King knelt down beside his subordinate and took Soren away from his arms. Soren seemed to snap back into consciousness when Reisi touched her. Still throwing herself away from his grip, she began to scream words.

"GO HOME!" She hollered while she threw herself to the ground hard, "HOME! WE HAVE TO GO HOME! GO HOME! GO HOME! GO HOME!"

"What's the matter, Soren!? You need to talk to me!"

She shook her head from side to side in a wild manner, holding her breathe until she was nearly blue. Then she lifted her head and smashed it back down against the black tiled floors. Her skull made a sickening crack before she continued screaming.

"I CAN FEEL THEM!" She wailed, beginning to cry, "I CAN FEEL THEIR PAIN! YOU NEED TO GO HOME! PLEASE!"

_Home...?_

"Scepter 4's headquarters...?" Reisi muttered. He struggled to cradle the seizing child in his arms but managed to do so. He rocked her slightly and put his face close to her ear. "Cho, nothing is wrong with your home. You'll be able to go back soon, don't you worry."

"There won't be a home to go back to." She suddenly said calmly. Her fit was over, just like that. But now silent tears flowed out of her beautiful lilac eyes while her whole body went limp. Everyone took a moment of silence to let the atmosphere calm itself. The ringing of Seri's phone broke the silence. She turned her back from the group and answered.

"Hello?"

"L-Lieutenant Awashima..."

"Goto-kun?"

"We were attacked. By the Greens. Scepter 4's headquarters... it's..."

* * *

_**I do not own K**, no copyright intended! Review and tell me what you think!_


	10. Curiosity

_Once again, super late. I'm in college now and my chapters will probably get shorter. Sorry!_

* * *

The Blue King sat in the van, the most uneasy silence surrounding those inside. Seri Awashima, Saruhiko Fushimi, little Soren, and himself did not speak a word. Fearful anticipation gripped his subordinates and his heart, which felt like a frozen stone, sinking and chilling his chest. Soren sat at his side with a face completely blank and emotionless. Bruises from restraint were forming on her hands. She felt his stare and looked up at her caretaker. She gave him an apologetic look; one that said "do you know...?" Yes. The Blue King knew what was about to come.

They pulled onto the street where Scepter 4's headquarters was located. Immediately in sight were local police, ambulances, and fire engines. The road ahead was cracked. Smoke spiraled up in an ominous black fog from the large building. The King could not see the distraction of him home beyond the gates. A police man tried to stop the van from proceeding, so Reisi stepped out of the car and ignored the man's warnings while he helped Soren from her booster seat. She lifted her purple eyes to his face and studied them carefully. Then she took his hand gently and stayed close to his side. They approached the gates... or gate, since one had been destroyed and laid flat on the concrete. A group of Blues spotted their King. They did not approach him, they did not speak to him. Guilt and pain washed over their faces.

The only one to bring himself to speak to the Captain was Akiyama. When the King turned to enter the gates and saw the state of the headquarters, Akiyama's voice sounded from behind. A shaking, small voice, "We... we were unable to protect the Headquarters... We failed. I'm sorry, Captain. I... I'm sorry..."

"I'm sorry," The Captain replied, "That I wasn't here to help you. This is your home as much as it is mine. I'm sorry that I failed to help you, as a Captain should."

The nobility of his words made Akiyama's throat clog up with emotion. He nodded and looked down at Soren. She let go of Reisi's hands and approached him, arms extending. Akiyama blinked, surprised for a moment, but then knelt down to embrace the child. Tears filled his eyes.

"You've gotten taller, Soren-chan." He observed with a thick voice.

"Himori," she said, "will I have to move away again?"

"Of course not!"

"Whenever I break things, I'm sent away."

"You didn't break anything, Soren-chan. This wasn't you."

"It was because of me."

Akiyama knew she was right. The Greens had come in search for Soren. At first they attacked without an explanation. Then, they began to ask where the child was, and didn't believe that she was not there. Finally, after fighting and ripping the building apart, they retreated in a furious rage. Akiyama patted her hair fondly.

"We'll fix it, don't worry."

Soren let go of him and turned. Reisi had moved and was speaking to Goto. Soren approached him. It was amazing, that the young girl was the one comforting the grown men. She was the strong one, the comforter, the healer.

"Daddy,"

"Yes, Cho?"

"Himori said we'll fix it."

He looked down at her. She took his hand in both of hers and gave it a squeeze.

"We'll fix it," she said again, "this is our home."

A grateful smile graced the King's lips sadly. He squeezed her dainty hand back, "You're right, Soren."

The Headquarters left wing had been completely charred and collapsed. The Greens used their electric auras to make explosions. The heat and intensity of the attacks left black marks and shattered debris. The ceiling was collapsing down into the rooms beneath, windows all along the building had been broken. Parts of the concrete walkway and the garden were broken and covered in craters. The King felt defeated. A hollow feeling in his stomach and the tired aching in his eyes. However, he would not allow his clansmen see him like that. There is nothing that would break someone's morale faster and harder than them seeing their very King or idol broken. If the person you look up to most has given up, then what's the point?

An annoyed growl caught Reisi's attention before Soren's exclamation, "MIKOTO!"

Reisi's eyes followed Soren while she ran to the gates again. She flung herself onto the Red King, gripping his muscular arms and hanging from them. Without taking his eyes off the destroyed building, Mikoto lifted the girl and held her on his hip like a toddler. She swung her legs back and forth as if she were on a swing. Beside Mikoto were his two top subordinates; Izumo Kusanagi and Tatara Totsuka. Behind them stood the others, only some of which Reisi could name.

"Can I help you, Suoh?" Reisi asked, spinning around to face the Red King, his voice as bold and confident as ever.

"Heard the Greens got you," Mikoto replied, moving his eyes slowly to Reisi. "Why?"

Reisi opened his mouth to tell him he can mind his own business, but Soren was already speaking, "It's my fault." She said while resting her cheek on Mikoto's broad shoulder.

"Huh?" The Reds gave her confused looks.

"They were looking for me. But I was with Kokujoji-san. So they didn't find me."

"Koku... The Gold King?" Izumo muttered in surprise. Mikoto's golden eyes held Reisi's again.

"Why was she with him?"

"'Cause of the Greens!" Soren explained as if it were obvious.

"Soren," Reisi said her name firmly and motioned her to come with a tilt of his head. Soren did as she was told, wiggling herself free from Mikoto and coming to the Blue King's side.

"Yeah, Daddy?"

"_Daddy?_" HOMRA repeated together. They were ignored.

"Go find Fushimi,"

"How come?"

"Just go find him, Cho."

She pouted, "I wanted to see Mikoto..."

"You can see him later. Go find Fushimi."

Soren once again obeyed, spinning around and calling out, "SARUU!"

Reisi turned back to his fellow king. They all looked extremely taken aback by his conversation with Soren.

"She your daughter now?" Mikoto asked.

"I take care of her," he replied, "that's what she decided to call me."

"And that nickname?"

"Fushimi came up with it."

That rippled more surprise. Mikoto brought the subject back to why he was there, "How come the Greens want Soren-chan so badly?"

Reisi hesitated, "I cannot tell you that."

"Why?" Mikoto demanded in a gruff mumble.

"The Gold King has forbidden me so."

Mikoto's glare deepened, "What–"

"Suoh," snapped Reisi, getting close to Mikoto's face, "I cannot speak about this here and now. All I can say is that it is better off for you and your clan if you don't get involved. Now, ss you can see there are things that I need to handle right now, other than your curiosity. _Please_, leave."

Mikoto was still for a moment and Reisi waited for him to leave. He was still for a moment longer than Reisi had anticipated, and thought he was going to stay out of spite, but right as Reisi opened his mouth, the Red King turned his back and walked away.


End file.
